The Ruckers Hill House, designed by Gardiner Architects, is a glassy green abode for a young family of five in Melbourne. The sprawling home was designed to give the family members different views of the neighborhood, downtown and adjacent garden, along with a range of play areas. The residence is topped with a green roof, a thermal chimney and solar panels. With a changing scale from the front of the home to the back, the sustainable home creates a daily sense of adventure as the family moves from space to space.

Perched at the top of a hill in the Northcote area of Melbourne, the family home gives views of the downtown area to its south. Throughout its three floors, the architects have designed curated views with glassy window boxes that twist in turn in different directions, showcasing either the city or the adjacent garden. Using a modest footprint, the space is maximized with the front of the home being only one level, while the back rises to three floors.

Floor to ceiling glass keeps the home bright, airy and connected to the outside landscape. The children’s rooms are off of the front of the home, while the master bedroom sits upstairs, allowing more privacy and a more expansive view of the city.

The home was designed with many sustainable features to keep energy use low, such as thermal mass concrete floors and a thermal chimney that sucks hot air out in the summers. The green roof is lined with solar panels, which help to offset the home’s energy consumption from the grid with renewable energy.